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He Z, Naganuma T, Melville HIAS. Bacteriomic Profiles of Rock-Dwelling Lichens from the Venezuelan Guiana Shield and the South African Highveld Plateau. Microorganisms 2024; 12:290. [PMID: 38399694 PMCID: PMC10892498 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12020290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Lichens are not only fungal-algal symbiotic associations but also matrices for association with bacteria, and the bacterial diversity linked to lichens has been receiving more attention in studies. This study compares the diversity and possible metabolism of lichen-associated bacteria from saxicolous foliose and fruticose taxa Alectoria, Canoparmelia, Crocodia, Menegazzia, Usnea, and Xanthoparmelia from the Venezuelan Guiana Shield and the South African Highveld Plateau. We used DNA extractions from the lichen thalli to amplify the eukaryotic 18S rRNA gene (rDNA) and the V3-V4 region of the bacterial 16S rDNA, of which amplicons were then Sanger- and MiSeq-sequenced, respectively. The V3-V4 sequences of the associated bacteria were grouped into operational taxonomic units (OTUs) ascribed to twelve bacterial phyla previously found in the rock tripe Umbilicaria lichens. The bacterial OTUs emphasized the uniqueness of each region, while, at the species and higher ranks, the regional microbiomes were shown to be somewhat similar. Nevertheless, regional biomarker OTUs were screened to predict relevant metabolic pathways, which implicated different regional metabolic features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zichen He
- Graduate School of Integrated Science for Life, Hiroshima University, 1-4-4 Kagamiyama, Higashi-hiroshima 739-8528, Japan
| | - Takeshi Naganuma
- Graduate School of Integrated Science for Life, Hiroshima University, 1-4-4 Kagamiyama, Higashi-hiroshima 739-8528, Japan
| | - Haemish I. A. S. Melville
- Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Florida, 0-41 Calabash Building, Unisa Science Campus, cnr Pioneer Avenue and Christiaan de Wet Road, Florida 1710, Gauteng, South Africa;
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2
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Remias D, Procházková L, Nedbalová L, Benning LG, Lutz S. Novel insights in cryptic diversity of snow and glacier ice algae communities combining 18S rRNA gene and ITS2 amplicon sequencing. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2023; 99:fiad134. [PMID: 37880981 PMCID: PMC10659120 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiad134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Melting snow and glacier surfaces host microalgal blooms in polar and mountainous regions. The aim of this study was to determine the dominant taxa at the species level in the European Arctic and the Alps. A standardized protocol for amplicon metabarcoding using the 18S rRNA gene and ITS2 markers was developed. This is important because previous biodiversity studies have been hampered by the dominance of closely related algal taxa in snow and ice. Due to the limited resolution of partial 18S rRNA Illumina sequences, the hypervariable ITS2 region was used to further discriminate between the genotypes. Our results show that red snow was caused by the cosmopolitan Sanguina nivaloides (Chlamydomonadales, Chlorophyta) and two as of yet undescribed Sanguina species. Arctic orange snow was dominated by S. aurantia, which was not found in the Alps. On glaciers, at least three Ancylonema species (Zygnematales, Streptophyta) dominated. Golden-brown blooms consisted of Hydrurus spp. (Hydrurales, Stramenophiles) and these were mainly an Arctic phenomenon. For chrysophytes, only the 18S rRNA gene but not ITS2 sequences were amplified, showcasing how delicate the selection of eukaryotic 'universal' primers for community studies is and that primer specificity will affect diversity results dramatically. We propose our approach as a 'best practice'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Remias
- Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Department of Ecology and Biodiversity, Hellbrunnerstr. 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
- University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Stelzhamerstr. 23, 4600 Wels, Austria
| | - Lenka Procházková
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Linda Nedbalová
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Liane G Benning
- German Research Centre for Geoscience, GFZ, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Earth Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, 12249 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefanie Lutz
- German Research Centre for Geoscience, GFZ, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
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3
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Alonso-García M, Pino-Bodas R, Villarreal A JC. Co-dispersal of symbionts in the lichen Cladonia stellaris inferred from genomic data. FUNGAL ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2022.101165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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4
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Trebouxia lynnae sp. nov. (Former Trebouxia sp. TR9): Biology and Biogeography of an Epitome Lichen Symbiotic Microalga. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11081196. [PMID: 36009823 PMCID: PMC9405249 DOI: 10.3390/biology11081196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Two microalgal species, Trebouxia jamesii and Trebouxia sp. TR9, were detected as the main photobionts coexisting in the thalli of the lichen Ramalina farinacea. Trebouxia sp. TR9 emerged as a new taxon in lichen symbioses and was successfully isolated and propagated in in vitro culture and thoroughly investigated. Several years of research have confirmed the taxon Trebouxia sp. TR9 to be a model/reference organism for studying mycobiont−photobiont association patterns in lichen symbioses. Trebouxia sp. TR9 is the first symbiotic, lichen-forming microalga for which an exhaustive characterization of cellular ultrastructure, physiological traits, genetic and genomic diversity is available. The cellular ultrastructure was studied by light, electron and confocal microscopy; physiological traits were studied as responses to different abiotic stresses. The genetic diversity was previously analyzed at both the nuclear and organelle levels by using chloroplast, mitochondrial, and nuclear genome data, and a multiplicity of phylogenetic analyses were carried out to study its intraspecific diversity at a biogeographical level and its specificity association patterns with the mycobiont. Here, Trebouxia sp. TR9 is formally described by applying an integrative taxonomic approach and is presented to science as Trebouxia lynnae, in honor of Lynn Margulis, who was the primary modern proponent for the significance of symbiosis in evolution. The complete set of analyses that were carried out for its characterization is provided.
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5
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Spribille T, Resl P, Stanton DE, Tagirdzhanova G. Evolutionary biology of lichen symbioses. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 234:1566-1582. [PMID: 35302240 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Lichens are the symbiotic outcomes of open, interspecies relationships, central to which are a fungus and a phototroph, typically an alga and/or cyanobacterium. The evolutionary processes that led to the global success of lichens are poorly understood. In this review, we explore the goods and services exchange between fungus and phototroph and how this propelled the success of both symbiont and symbiosis. Lichen fungal symbionts count among the only filamentous fungi that expose most of their mycelium to an aerial environment. Phototrophs export carbohydrates to the fungus, which converts them to specific polyols. Experimental evidence suggests that polyols are not only growth and respiratory substrates but also play a role in anhydrobiosis, the capacity to survive desiccation. We propose that this dual functionality is pivotal to the evolution of fungal symbionts, enabling persistence in environments otherwise hostile to fungi while simultaneously imposing costs on growth. Phototrophs, in turn, benefit from fungal protection from herbivory and light stress, while appearing to exert leverage over fungal sex and morphogenesis. Combined with the recently recognized habit of symbionts to occur in multiple symbioses, this creates the conditions for a multiplayer marketplace of rewards and penalties that could drive symbiont selection and lichen diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toby Spribille
- Department of Biological Sciences CW405, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Philipp Resl
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 3, Graz, 8010, Austria
| | - Daniel E Stanton
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Gulnara Tagirdzhanova
- Department of Biological Sciences CW405, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada
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6
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De Carolis R, Cometto A, Moya P, Barreno E, Grube M, Tretiach M, Leavitt SD, Muggia L. Photobiont Diversity in Lichen Symbioses From Extreme Environments. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:809804. [PMID: 35422771 PMCID: PMC9002315 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.809804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal–algal relationships—both across evolutionary and ecological scales—are finely modulated by the presence of the symbionts in the environments and by the degree of selectivity and specificity that either symbiont develop reciprocally. In lichens, the green algal genus Trebouxia Puymaly is one of the most frequently recovered chlorobionts. Trebouxia species-level lineages have been recognized on the basis of their morphological and phylogenetic diversity, while their ecological preferences and distribution are still only partially unknown. We selected two cosmopolitan species complexes of lichen-forming fungi as reference models, i.e., Rhizoplaca melanophthalma and Tephromela atra, to investigate the diversity of their associated Trebouxia spp. in montane habitats across their distributional range worldwide. The greatest diversity of Trebouxia species-level lineages was recovered in the altitudinal range 1,000–2,500 m a.s.l. A total of 10 distinct Trebouxia species-level lineages were found to associate with either mycobiont, for which new photobionts are reported. One previously unrecognized Trebouxia species-level lineage was identified and is here provisionally named Trebouxia “A52.” Analyses of cell morphology and ultrastructure were performed on axenically isolated strains to fully characterize the new Trebouxia “A52” and three other previously recognized lineages, i.e., Trebouxia “A02,” T. vagua “A04,” and T. vagua “A10,” which were successfully isolated in culture during this study. The species-level diversity of Trebouxia associating with the two lichen-forming fungi in extreme habitats helps elucidate the evolutionary pathways that this lichen photobiont genus traversed to occupy varied climatic and vegetative regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Agnese Cometto
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Patricia Moya
- Botánica, ICBIBE, Faculty of CC. Biológicas, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Eva Barreno
- Botánica, ICBIBE, Faculty of CC. Biológicas, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Martin Grube
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Mauro Tretiach
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Steven D Leavitt
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Lucia Muggia
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
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Barcytė D, Pusztai M, Škaloud P, Eliáš M. When you Like Other Algae: Adglutina synurophila gen. et sp. nov. (Moewusinia, Chlorophyceae), a Clingy Green Microalga Associated with Synura Colonies. Protist 2022; 173:125858. [DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2022.125858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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8
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Škvorová Z, Černajová I, Steinová J, Peksa O, Moya P, Škaloud P. Promiscuity in Lichens Follows Clear Rules: Partner Switching in Cladonia Is Regulated by Climatic Factors and Soil Chemistry. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:781585. [PMID: 35173688 PMCID: PMC8841807 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.781585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Climatic factors, soil chemistry and geography are considered as major factors affecting lichen distribution and diversity. To determine how these factors limit or support the associations between the symbiotic partners, we revise the lichen symbiosis as a network of relationships here. More than one thousand thalli of terricolous Cladonia lichens were collected at sites with a wide range of soil chemical properties from seven biogeographical regions of Europe. A total of 18 OTUs of the algal genus Asterochloris and 181 OTUs of Cladonia mycobiont were identified. We displayed all realized pairwise mycobiont-photobiont relationships and performed modularity analysis. It revealed four virtually separated modules of cooperating OTUs. The modules differed in mean annual temperature, isothermality, precipitation, evapotranspiration, soil pH, nitrogen, and carbon contents. Photobiont switching was strictly limited to algae from one module, i.e., algae of similar ecological preferences, and only few mycobionts were able to cooperate with photobionts from different modules. Thus, Cladonia mycobionts generally cannot widen their ecological niches through photobiont switching. The modules also differed in the functional traits of the mycobionts, e.g., sexual reproduction rate, presence of soredia, and thallus type. These traits may represent adaptations to the environmental conditions that drive the differentiation of the modules. In conclusion, the promiscuity in Cladonia mycobionts is strictly limited by climatic factors and soil chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Škvorová
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Ivana Černajová
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jana Steinová
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Ondřej Peksa
- Museum of West Bohemia in Pilsen, Pilsen, Czechia
| | - Patricia Moya
- Botánica, ICBIBE, Fac. CC. Biológicas, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Pavel Škaloud
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
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9
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van Steenderen C, Sutton G. SPEDE‐sampler: an R Shiny application to assess how methodological choices and taxon‐sampling can affect Generalised Mixed Yule Coalescent (GMYC) output and interpretation. Mol Ecol Resour 2022; 22:2054-2069. [PMID: 35094502 PMCID: PMC9306842 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Species delimitation tools are vital to taxonomy and the discovery of new species. These tools can make use of genetic data to estimate species boundaries, where one of the most widely used methods is the Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent (GMYC) model. Despite its popularity, a number of factors are known to influence the performance and resulting inferences of the GMYC. Moreover, the few studies that have assessed model performance to date have been predominantly based on simulated data sets, where model assumptions are not violated. Here, we present a user‐friendly R Shiny application, ‘SPEDE‐sampler’ (SPEcies DElimitation sampler), that assesses the effect of computational and methodological choices, in combination with sampling effects, on the GMYC model. Output phylogenies are used to test the effect that (1) sample size, (2) BEAST and GMYC parameters (e.g. prior settings, single vs multiple threshold, clock model), and (3) singletons have on GMYC output. Optional predefined grouping information (e.g. morphospecies/ecotypes) can be uploaded in order to compare it with GMYC species and estimate percentage match scores. Additionally, predefined groups that contribute to inflated species richness estimates are identified by SPEDE‐sampler, allowing for the further investigation of potential cryptic species or geographical substructuring in those groups. Merging by the GMYC is also recorded to identify where traditional taxonomy has overestimated species numbers. Four worked examples are provided to illustrate the functionality of the program's workflow, and the variation that can arise when applying the GMYC model to empirical data sets. The R Shiny program is available for download at https://github.com/clarkevansteenderen/spede_sampler_R.
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Affiliation(s)
- C.J.M. van Steenderen
- Centre for Biological Control Department of Zoology and Entomology Rhodes University Grahamstown/Makhanda 6139 Eastern Cape South Africa
| | - G.F. Sutton
- Centre for Biological Control Department of Zoology and Entomology Rhodes University Grahamstown/Makhanda 6139 Eastern Cape South Africa
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10
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Chloroplast morphology and pyrenoid ultrastructural analyses reappraise the diversity of the lichen phycobiont genus Trebouxia (Chlorophyta). ALGAL RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2021.102561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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11
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Vančurová L, Malíček J, Steinová J, Škaloud P. Choosing the Right Life Partner: Ecological Drivers of Lichen Symbiosis. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:769304. [PMID: 34970234 PMCID: PMC8712729 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.769304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Lichens are an iconic example of symbiotic systems whose ecology is shaped by the requirements of the symbionts. Previous studies suggest that fungal (mycobionts) as well as photosynthesizing (phycobionts or cyanobionts) partners have a specific range of acceptable symbionts that can be chosen according to specific environmental conditions. This study aimed to investigate the effects of climatic conditions and mycobiont identity on phycobiont distribution within the lichen genera Stereocaulon, Cladonia, and Lepraria. The study area comprised the Canary Islands, Madeira, Sicily, and the Aeolian Islands, spanning a wide range of climatic conditions. These islands are known for their unique and diverse fauna and flora; however, lichen phycobionts have remained unstudied in most of these areas. In total, we genetically analyzed 339 lichen samples. The phycobiont pool differed significantly from that outside the studied area. Asterochloris mediterranea was identified as the most abundant phycobiont. However, its distribution was limited by climatic constraints. Other species of Asterochloris and representatives of the genera Chloroidium, Vulcanochloris, and Myrmecia were also recovered as phycobionts. The selection of symbiotic partners from the local phycobiont pool was driven by mycobiont specificity (i.e., the taxonomic range of acceptable partners) and the environmental conditions, mainly temperature. Interestingly, the dominant fungal species responded differently in their selection of algal symbionts along the environmental gradients. Cladonia rangiformis associated with its phycobiont A. mediterranea in a broader range of temperatures than Stereocaulon azoreum, which favors other Asterochloris species along most of the temperature gradient. Stereocaulon vesuvianum associated with Chloroidium spp., which also differed in their temperature optima. Finally, we described Stereocaulon canariense as a new endemic species ecologically distinct from the other Stereocaulon species on the Canary Islands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Vančurová
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jiří Malíček
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czechia
| | - Jana Steinová
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Pavel Škaloud
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
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12
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OUP accepted manuscript. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2022; 98:6522171. [DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiac008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Photoprotection and high-light acclimation in semi-arid grassland lichens – a cooperation between algal and fungal partners. Symbiosis 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s13199-021-00823-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIn lichens, each symbiotic partner cooperates for the survival of the symbiotic association. The protection of the susceptible photosynthetic apparatus is essential for both participants. The mycobiont and photobiont contribute to the protection against the damaging effect of excess light by various mechanisms. The present study investigated the effect of seasonality and microhabitat exposure on photoprotection and photoacclimation in the photo- and the mycobiont of six lichen species with different thallus morphology in inland dune system in the Kiskunság region (Hungary) with shaded, more humid and exposed, drier dune sides. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography, spectrophotometry, chlorophyll a fluorescence kinetic technique were used, and micrometeorological data were collected. The four years data series revealed that the north-east-facing side was characterized by higher relative humidity and lower light intensities compared to the south-west-facing drier and more exposed sides. The south-west facing side was exposed to direct illumination 3–4 hours longer in winter and 1–2 hours shorter in summer than the north-east facing side of the dune, influencing the metabolism of sun and shade populations of various species. Because rapid desiccation caused short active periods of lichens during bright and drier seasons and on exposed microhabitats, the rapid, non-regulated non-photochemical quenching mechanisms in the photobiont had a significant role in protecting the photosynthetic system in the hydrated state. In dehydrated conditions, thalli were mainly defended by the solar screening metabolites produced by the mycobiont and curling during desiccation (also caused by the mycobiont). Furthermore, the efficacy of light use (higher chlorophyll and carotenoid concentration) increased because of short hydrated periods. Still, a lower level of received irradiation was appropriate for photosynthesis in dry seasons and on sun exposed habitats. In humid seasons and microhabitats, more extended active periods lead to increased photosynthesis and production of solar radiation protectant fungal metabolites, allowing a lower level of photoprotection in the form of regulated non-photochemical quenching by the photobiont. Interspecific differences were more pronounced than the intraspecific ones among seasons and microhabitat types.
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Nicoletti C, Procházková L, Nedbalová L, Mócsai R, Altmann F, Holzinger A, Remias D. Thorsmoerkia curvula gen. et spec. nov. (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta), a semi-terrestrial microalga from Iceland exhibits high levels of unsaturated fatty acids. JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY 2021; 33:3671-3682. [PMID: 35309180 PMCID: PMC7612509 DOI: 10.1007/s10811-021-02577-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A terrestrial green alga was isolated at Iceland, and the strain (SAG 2627) was described for its morphology and phylogenetic position and tested for biotechnological capabilities. Cells had a distinctly curved, crescent shape with conical poles and a single parietal chloroplast. Phylogenetic analyses of 18S rDNA and rbcL markers placed the strain into the Trebouxiophyceae (Chlorophyta). The alga turned out to belong to an independent lineage without an obvious sister group within the Trebouxiophyceae. Based on morphological and phylogenetic data, the strain was described as a new genus and species, Thorsmoerkia curvula gen. et sp. nov. Biomass was generated in column reactors and subsequently screened for promising metabolites. Growth was optimized by pH-regulated, episodic CO2 supplement during the logarithmic growth-phase, and half of the biomass was thereafter exposed to nitrogen and phosphate depletion. The biomass yield reached up to 53.5 mg L-1 day-1. Fatty acid (FA) production peaked at 24 mg L-1 day-1 and up to 83% of all FAs were unsaturated. At the end of the log phase, approximately 45% of dry mass were lipids, including eicosapentaenoic acid. Carotenoid production reached up to 2.94 mg L-1 day-1 but it was halted during the stress phase. The N-linked glycans of glycoproteins were assessed to reveal chemotaxonomic patterns. The study demonstrated that new microalgae can be found at Iceland, potentially suitable for applied purposes. The advantage of T. curvula is its robustness and that significant amounts of lipids are already accumulated during log phase, making a subsequent stress exposure dispensable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Nicoletti
- School of Engineering, University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Stelzhamerstr. 23, 4600 Wels, Austria
| | - Lenka Procházková
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12844 Prague, Czech Republic
- Centre for Phycology, Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, 37982 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Linda Nedbalová
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12844 Prague, Czech Republic
- Centre for Phycology, Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, 37982 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Réka Mócsai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 19, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Friedrich Altmann
- Department of Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 19, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Holzinger
- Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestraße 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Daniel Remias
- School of Engineering, University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Stelzhamerstr. 23, 4600 Wels, Austria
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16
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Pino-Bodas R, Stenroos S. Global Biodiversity Patterns of the Photobionts Associated with the Genus Cladonia (Lecanorales, Ascomycota). MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2021; 82:173-187. [PMID: 33150498 PMCID: PMC8282589 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-020-01633-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The diversity of lichen photobionts is not fully known. We studied here the diversity of the photobionts associated with Cladonia, a sub-cosmopolitan genus ecologically important, whose photobionts belong to the green algae genus Asterochloris. The genetic diversity of Asterochloris was screened by using the ITS rDNA and actin type I regions in 223 specimens and 135 species of Cladonia collected all over the world. These data, added to those available in GenBank, were compiled in a dataset of altogether 545 Asterochloris sequences occurring in 172 species of Cladonia. A high diversity of Asterochloris associated with Cladonia was found. The commonest photobiont lineages associated with this genus are A. glomerata, A. italiana, and A. mediterranea. Analyses of partitioned variation were carried out in order to elucidate the relative influence on the photobiont genetic variation of the following factors: mycobiont identity, geographic distribution, climate, and mycobiont phylogeny. The mycobiont identity and climate were found to be the main drivers for the genetic variation of Asterochloris. The geographical distribution of the different Asterochloris lineages was described. Some lineages showed a clear dominance in one or several climatic regions. In addition, the specificity and the selectivity were studied for 18 species of Cladonia. Potentially specialist and generalist species of Cladonia were identified. A correlation was found between the sexual reproduction frequency of the host and the frequency of certain Asterochloris OTUs. Some Asterochloris lineages co-occur with higher frequency than randomly expected in the Cladonia species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Pino-Bodas
- Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, TW9 3DS, UK.
| | - Soili Stenroos
- Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 7, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
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Kosecka M, Guzow-Krzemińska B, Černajová I, Škaloud P, Jabłońska A, Kukwa M. New lineages of photobionts in Bolivian lichens expand our knowledge on habitat preferences and distribution of Asterochloris algae. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8701. [PMID: 33888793 PMCID: PMC8062552 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88110-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied the biodiversity of Asterochloris photobionts found in Bolivian lichens to better understand their global spatial distribution and adaptation strategies in the context of a worldwide phylogeny of the genus. Based on nuclear ITS rDNA, the chloroplast rbcL gene and the actin type I gene we reconstructed a phylogenetic tree that recovered nine new Asterochloris lineages, while 32 Bolivian photobiont samples were assigned to 12 previously recognized Asterochloris lineages. We also show that some previously discovered Asterochloris photobiont species and lineages may occur in a broader spectrum of climatic conditions, and mycobiont species and photobionts may show different preferences along an altitude gradient. To reveal general patterns of of mycobiont specificity towards the photobiont in Asterochloris, we tested the influence of climate, altitude, geographical distance and effects of symbiotic partner (mycobiont) at the species level of three genera of lichen forming fungi: Stereocaulon, Cladonia and Lepraria. Further, we compared the specificity of mycobionts towards Asterochloris photobionts in cosmopolitan, Neotropical, and Pantropical lichen forming fungi. Interestingly, cosmopolitan species showed the lowest specificity to their photobionts, but also the lowest haplotype diversity. Neotropical and Paleotropical mycobionts, however, were more specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Kosecka
- Department of Plant Taxonomy and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80308, Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Beata Guzow-Krzemińska
- Department of Plant Taxonomy and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80308, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Ivana Černajová
- Faculty of Science, Department of Botany, Charles University, Benatska 2, 12801, Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Škaloud
- Faculty of Science, Department of Botany, Charles University, Benatska 2, 12801, Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Agnieszka Jabłońska
- Department of Plant Taxonomy and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80308, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Martin Kukwa
- Department of Plant Taxonomy and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80308, Gdańsk, Poland
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Rola K, Lenart-Boroń A, Boroń P, Osyczka P. Heavy-metal pollution induces changes in the genetic composition and anatomical properties of photobionts in pioneer lichens colonising post-industrial habitats. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 750:141439. [PMID: 32882488 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Certain lichens are effective colonisers of polluted sites. However, little is known about the tolerance of photobionts and the degree of mycobiont selectivity to photobionts relative to metal pollution. The present study recognises the genetic and anatomical diversity of Asterochloris photobionts in epigeic lichens, i.e. Cladonia cariosa, C. rei, and Diploschistes muscorum, in relation to a wide spectrum of soil pollution. In accordance with phylogenetic analysis, photobionts were clustered in 7 moderately- to well-supported clades, including 19 haplotypes. The mycobionts of all studied lichens demonstrated a low level of selectivity and were capable of associating with various Asterochloris lineages. This tendency was also expressed by the frequent (~25%) occurrence of multiple algal genotypes in a single thallus. This indicates that identified Asterochloris lineages are generally tolerant to heavy-metal pollution, and the low level of selectivity of mycobionts enables them to select the most suitable and/or available partner. The trend of increasing incidence of certain Asterochloris lineages and decreasing frequency of others along with increasing soil pollution was observed. This proves the superior adaptation of some photobionts to polluted sites. Such symbiotic plasticity constitute an adaptive feature necessary for the successful colonisation. High number of haplotypes at polluted sites could be the result of multiple introduction events from different areas during the initial stages of spontaneous succession. Regardless of the genetic pattern, Asterochloris cells were considerably smaller, and the density and compaction of cells in the algal layer were higher, in lichen specimens from polluted sites, indicating that photobiont characteristics may be closely dependent on heavy-metal pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaja Rola
- Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Anna Lenart-Boroń
- Department of Microbiology and Biomonitoring, Faculty of Agriculture and Economics, University of Agriculture in Kraków, Adam Mickiewicz Ave. 24/28, 31-059 Kraków, Poland
| | - Piotr Boroń
- Department of Forest Ecosystems Protection, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture in Kraków, 29 Listopada Ave. 46, 31-425 Kraków, Poland
| | - Piotr Osyczka
- Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3, 30-387 Kraków, Poland.
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Osyczka P, Lenart-Boroń A, Boroń P, Rola K. Lichen-forming fungi in postindustrial habitats involve alternative photobionts. Mycologia 2020; 113:43-55. [PMID: 33146594 DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2020.1813486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Mycobionts of many lichen genera appear to demonstrate strong selectivity in the choice of algal partner. The biological properties of a photobiont and its availability in an environment significantly determine the habitat requirements of lichens. Flexibility in photobiont choice extends the ecological amplitude of lichens; therefore, it may constitute an important adaptive strategy for colonization of extreme habitats. The photobiont inventory of the three epigeic lichens most resistant to soil pollution, i.e., Cladonia cariosa, C. rei, and the hyperaccumulator Diploschistes muscorum, was examined to verify whether and to what extent algal composition depends on the type of habitat and substrate enrichment with heavy metals. Photobionts Asterochloris and Trebouxia were identified in the studied lichen species; however, the presence of Trebouxia was directly related to anthropogenic sites with technogenic substrates, and the proportion of lichen specimens with these algae clearly depended on the level of heavy-metal soil pollution and the habitat type. The total number of algal haplotypes increased with increasing soil pollution, and the richness was associated more with soil pollution than with a given lichen species. Additionally, a large number of lichen individuals bearing multiple algal genotypes at polluted sites were recorded. Although Cladonia lichens were previously thought to be restricted to Asterochloris, they are able to start the relichenization process with Trebouxia under specific habitat conditions and to establish a stable association with these algae when colonization of disturbed sites takes place. Comparative analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA sequences revealed as many as 13 haplotypes of Trebouxia, and phylogenetic analysis grouped them into two different clades. Such a high level of genetic diversity indicates that Trebouxia is well adapted to metal pollution and could be an alternative photosynthetic partner for certain lichens, especially in polluted sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Osyczka
- Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University , Gronostajowa 3, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Anna Lenart-Boroń
- Department of Microbiology and Biomonitoring, Faculty of Agriculture and Economics, University of Agriculture in Kraków , Adam Mickiewicz Ave. 24/28, 31-059 Kraków, Poland
| | - Piotr Boroń
- Department of Forest Ecosystems Protection, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture in Kraków , 29 Listopada Ave. 46, 31-425 Kraków, Poland
| | - Kaja Rola
- Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University , Gronostajowa 3, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
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Ruprecht U, Fernández-Mendoza F, Türk R, Fryday AM. High levels of endemism and local differentiation in the fungal and algal symbionts of saxicolous lecideoid lichens along a latitudinal gradient in southern South America. LICHENOLOGIST (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2020; 52:287-303. [PMID: 32788813 PMCID: PMC7396322 DOI: 10.1017/s0024282920000225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Saxicolous, lecideoid lichenized fungi have a cosmopolitan distribution but, being mostly cold adapted, are especially abundant in polar and high-mountain regions. To date, little is known of their origin or the extent of their trans-equatorial dispersal. Several mycobiont genera and species are thought to be restricted to either the Northern or the Southern Hemisphere, whereas others are thought to be widely distributed and occur in both hemispheres. However, these assumptions often rely on morphological analyses and lack supporting molecular genetic data. Also unknown is the extent of regional differentiation in the southern polar regions. An extensive set of lecideoid lichens (185 samples) was collected along a latitudinal gradient at the southern end of South America. Subantarctic climate conditions were maintained by increasing the elevation of the collecting sites with decreasing latitude. The investigated specimens were placed in a global context by including Antarctic and cosmopolitan sequences from other studies. For each symbiont three markers were used to identify intraspecific variation (mycobiont: ITS, mtSSU, RPB1; photobiont: ITS, psbJ-L, COX2). For the mycobiont, the saxicolous genera Lecidea, Porpidia, Poeltidea and Lecidella were phylogenetically re-evaluated, along with their photobionts Asterochloris and Trebouxia. For several globally distributed species groups, the results show geographically highly differentiated subclades, classified as operational taxonomical units (OTUs), which were assigned to the different regions of southern South America (sSA). Furthermore, several small endemic and well-supported clades apparently restricted to sSA were detected at the species level for both symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Ruprecht
- Universität Salzburg, FB Biowissenschaften, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Roman Türk
- Universität Salzburg, FB Biowissenschaften, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020Salzburg, Austria
| | - Alan M. Fryday
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824, USA
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Procházková L, Leya T, Křížková H, Nedbalová L. Sanguina nivaloides and Sanguina aurantia gen. et spp. nov. (Chlorophyta): the taxonomy, phylogeny, biogeography and ecology of two newly recognised algae causing red and orange snow. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2020; 95:5487888. [PMID: 31074825 PMCID: PMC6545352 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiz064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Melting snowfields in polar and alpine regions often exhibit a red and orange colouration caused by microalgae. The diversity of these organisms is still poorly understood. We applied a polyphasic approach using three molecular markers and light and electron microscopy to investigate spherical cysts sampled from alpine mountains in Europe, North America and South America as well as from both polar regions. Molecular analyses revealed the presence of a single independent lineage within the Chlamydomonadales. The genus Sanguina is described, with Sanguina nivaloides as its type. It is distinguishable from other red cysts forming alga by the number of cell wall layers, cell size, cell surface morphology and habitat preference. Sanguina nivaloides is a diverse species containing a total of 18 haplotypes according to nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 2, with low nucleotide divergence (≤3.5%). Based on molecular data we demonstrate that it has a cosmopolitan distribution with an absence of geographical structuring, indicating an effective dispersal strategy with the cysts being transported all around the globe, including trans-equatorially. Additionally, Sanguina aurantia is described, with small spherical orange cysts often clustered by means of mucilaginous sheaths, and causing orange blooms in snow in subarctic and Arctic regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Procházková
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Thomas Leya
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses IZI-BB, Extremophile Research & Biobank CCCryo, Am Muehlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Heda Křížková
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Linda Nedbalová
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic.,The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany, Dukelská 135, Třeboň, 379 82, Czech Republic
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Muggia L, Nelsen MP, Kirika PM, Barreno E, Beck A, Lindgren H, Lumbsch HT, Leavitt SD. Formally described species woefully underrepresent phylogenetic diversity in the common lichen photobiont genus Trebouxia (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta): An impetus for developing an integrated taxonomy. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020; 149:106821. [PMID: 32294545 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Lichens provide valuable systems for studying symbiotic interactions. In lichens, these interactions are frequently described in terms of availability, selectivity and specificity of the mycobionts and photobionts towards one another. The lichen-forming, green algal genus Trebouxia Puymaly is among the most widespread photobiont, associating with a broad range of lichen-forming fungi. To date, 29 species have been described, but studies consistently indicate that the vast majority of species-level lineages still lack formal description, and new, previously unrecognized lineages are frequently reported. To reappraise the diversity and the evolutionary relationships of species-level lineages in Trebouxia, we assembled DNA sequence data from over 1600 specimens, compiled from a range of sequences from previously published studies, axenic algal cultures, and lichens collected from poorly sampled regions. From these samples, we selected representatives of the currently known genetic diversity in the lichenized Trebouxia and inferred a phylogeny from multi-locus sequence data (ITS, rbcL, cox2). We demonstrate that the current formally described species woefully underrepresent overall species-level diversity in this important lichen-forming algal genus. We anticipate that an integrative taxonomic approach, incorporating morphological and physiological data from axenic cultures with genetic data, will be required to establish a robust, comprehensive taxonomy for Trebouxia. The data presented here provide an important impetus and reference dataset for more reliably characterizing diversity in lichenized algae and in using lichens to investigate the evolution of symbioses and holobionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Muggia
- University of Trieste, Department of Life Sciences, via Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Paul M Kirika
- Botany Department, EA Herbarium, National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Eva Barreno
- Botánica, Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Fac. CC. Biológicas, Universitat de València, C/ Dr. Moliner, 50. 46100-Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
| | - Andreas Beck
- Botanische Staatssammlung München, SNSB-BSM, Menzinger Str. 67, D-80638 Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Steven D Leavitt
- Department of Biology and M. L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA.
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Shukla SP, Kvíderová J, Adamec L, Elster J. Ecophysiological Features of Polar Soil Unicellular Microalgae 1. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2020; 56:481-495. [PMID: 31833070 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Due to their ecological, physiological, and molecular adaptations to low and varying temperatures, as well as varying seasonal irradiances, polar non-marine eukaryotic microalgae could be suitable for low-temperature biotechnology. Adaptations include the synthesis of compounds from different metabolic pathways that protect them against stress. Production of biological compounds and various biotechnological applications, for instance, water treatment technology, are of interest to humans. To select prospective strains for future low-temperature biotechnology in polar regions, temperature and irradiance of growth requirements (Q10 and Ea of 10 polar soil unicellular strains) were evaluated. In terms of temperature, three groups of strains were recognized: (i) cold-preferring where temperature optima ranged between 10.1 and 18.4°C, growth rate 0.252 and 0.344 · d-1 , (ii) cold- and warm-tolerating with optima above 10°C and growth rate 0.162-0.341 · d-1 , and (iii) warm-preferring temperatures above 20°C and growth rate 0.249-0.357 · d-1 . Their light requirements were low. Mean values Q10 for specific growth rate ranged from 0.7 to 3.1. The lowest Ea values were observed on cold-preferring and the highest in the warm-preferring strains. One strain from each temperature group was selected for PN and RD measurements. The PN :RD ratio of the warm-preferring strains was less affected by temperature similarly as Q10 and Ea. For future biotechnological applications, the strains with broad temperature tolerance (i.e., the group of cold- and warm-tolerating and warm-preferring strains) will be most useful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satya P Shukla
- Central Institute of Fisheries and Education, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Panch Marg, Off. Yari Road, Versova, Andheri (west), Mumbai, 400 061, India
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, 379 82, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Kvíderová
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, 379 82, Třeboň, Czech Republic
- Centre for Polar Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlaté Stoce 3, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Lubomír Adamec
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, 379 82, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Josef Elster
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, 379 82, Třeboň, Czech Republic
- Centre for Polar Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlaté Stoce 3, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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Cho SM, Lee H, Hong SG, Lee J. Study of Ecophysiological Responses of the Antarctic Fruticose Lichen Cladonia borealis Using the PAM Fluorescence System under Natural and Laboratory Conditions. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 9:E85. [PMID: 31936612 PMCID: PMC7020452 DOI: 10.3390/plants9010085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Antarctic lichens have been used as indicators of climate change for decades, but only a few species have been studied. We assessed the photosynthetic performance of the fruticose lichen Cladonia borealis under natural and laboratory conditions using the PAM fluorescence system. Compared to that of sun-adapted Usnea sp., the photosynthetic performance of C. borealis exhibits shade-adapted lichen features, and its chlorophyll fluorescence does not occur during dry days without rain. To understand its desiccation-rehydration responses, we measured changes in the PSII photochemistry in C. borealis under the average light intensity of dawn light and daylight and the desiccating conditions of its natural microclimate. Interestingly, samples under daylight and rapid-desiccation conditions showed a delayed reduction in Fv'/Fm' and rETRmax, and an increase in Y(II) and Y(NPQ) levels. These results suggest that the photoprotective mechanism of C. borealis depends on sunlight and becomes more efficient with improved desiccation tolerance. Amplicon sequencing revealed that the major photobiont of C. borealis was Asterochloris irregularis, which has not been reported in Antarctica before. Collectively, these results from both field and laboratory could provide a better understanding of specific ecophysiological responses of shade-adapted lichens in the Antarctic region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung Mi Cho
- Unit of Research for Practical Application, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon 21990, Korea;
| | - Hyoungseok Lee
- Division of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon 21990, Korea; (H.L.); (S.G.H.)
- Polar Sciences, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
| | - Soon Gyu Hong
- Division of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon 21990, Korea; (H.L.); (S.G.H.)
| | - Jungeun Lee
- Unit of Research for Practical Application, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon 21990, Korea;
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Armaleo D, Müller O, Lutzoni F, Andrésson ÓS, Blanc G, Bode HB, Collart FR, Dal Grande F, Dietrich F, Grigoriev IV, Joneson S, Kuo A, Larsen PE, Logsdon JM, Lopez D, Martin F, May SP, McDonald TR, Merchant SS, Miao V, Morin E, Oono R, Pellegrini M, Rubinstein N, Sanchez-Puerta MV, Savelkoul E, Schmitt I, Slot JC, Soanes D, Szövényi P, Talbot NJ, Veneault-Fourrey C, Xavier BB. The lichen symbiosis re-viewed through the genomes of Cladonia grayi and its algal partner Asterochloris glomerata. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:605. [PMID: 31337355 PMCID: PMC6652019 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5629-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lichens, encompassing 20,000 known species, are symbioses between specialized fungi (mycobionts), mostly ascomycetes, and unicellular green algae or cyanobacteria (photobionts). Here we describe the first parallel genomic analysis of the mycobiont Cladonia grayi and of its green algal photobiont Asterochloris glomerata. We focus on genes/predicted proteins of potential symbiotic significance, sought by surveying proteins differentially activated during early stages of mycobiont and photobiont interaction in coculture, expanded or contracted protein families, and proteins with differential rates of evolution. RESULTS A) In coculture, the fungus upregulated small secreted proteins, membrane transport proteins, signal transduction components, extracellular hydrolases and, notably, a ribitol transporter and an ammonium transporter, and the alga activated DNA metabolism, signal transduction, and expression of flagellar components. B) Expanded fungal protein families include heterokaryon incompatibility proteins, polyketide synthases, and a unique set of G-protein α subunit paralogs. Expanded algal protein families include carbohydrate active enzymes and a specific subclass of cytoplasmic carbonic anhydrases. The alga also appears to have acquired by horizontal gene transfer from prokaryotes novel archaeal ATPases and Desiccation-Related Proteins. Expanded in both symbionts are signal transduction components, ankyrin domain proteins and transcription factors involved in chromatin remodeling and stress responses. The fungal transportome is contracted, as are algal nitrate assimilation genes. C) In the mycobiont, slow-evolving proteins were enriched for components involved in protein translation, translocation and sorting. CONCLUSIONS The surveyed genes affect stress resistance, signaling, genome reprogramming, nutritional and structural interactions. The alga carries many genes likely transferred horizontally through viruses, yet we found no evidence of inter-symbiont gene transfer. The presence in the photobiont of meiosis-specific genes supports the notion that sexual reproduction occurs in Asterochloris while they are free-living, a phenomenon with implications for the adaptability of lichens and the persistent autonomy of the symbionts. The diversity of the genes affecting the symbiosis suggests that lichens evolved by accretion of many scattered regulatory and structural changes rather than through introduction of a few key innovations. This predicts that paths to lichenization were variable in different phyla, which is consistent with the emerging consensus that ascolichens could have had a few independent origins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Olaf Müller
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, USA
| | | | - Ólafur S. Andrésson
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Guillaume Blanc
- Aix Marseille University, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO UM 110, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Helge B. Bode
- Molekulare Biotechnologie, Fachbereich Biowissenschaften & Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Frank R. Collart
- Argonne National Laboratory, Biosciences Division, Argonne, & Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, USA
| | - Francesco Dal Grande
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Fred Dietrich
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, USA
| | - Igor V. Grigoriev
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California – Berkeley, Berkeley, USA
| | - Suzanne Joneson
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, USA
- College of General Studies, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee at Waukesha, Waukesha, USA
| | - Alan Kuo
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, USA
| | - Peter E. Larsen
- Argonne National Laboratory, Biosciences Division, Argonne, & Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, USA
| | | | | | - Francis Martin
- INRA, Université de Lorraine, Interactions Arbres-Microorganismes, INRA-Nancy, Champenoux, France
| | - Susan P. May
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, USA
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA
| | - Tami R. McDonald
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, USA
- Department of Biology, St. Catherine University, St. Paul, USA
| | - Sabeeha S. Merchant
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California – Berkeley, Berkeley, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California – Berkeley, Berkeley, USA
| | - Vivian Miao
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Emmanuelle Morin
- INRA, Université de Lorraine, Interactions Arbres-Microorganismes, INRA-Nancy, Champenoux, France
| | - Ryoko Oono
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California - Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, USA
| | - Matteo Pellegrini
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, and DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Nimrod Rubinstein
- National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, Durham, USA
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, USA
| | | | | | - Imke Schmitt
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jason C. Slot
- College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA
| | - Darren Soanes
- College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Péter Szövényi
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Claire Veneault-Fourrey
- INRA, Université de Lorraine, Interactions Arbres-Microorganismes, INRA-Nancy, Champenoux, France
- Université de Lorraine, INRA, Interactions Arbres-Microorganismes, Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Vandoeuvre les Nancy Cedex, France
| | - Basil B. Xavier
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine & Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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27
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Dynamic evolution of mitochondrial genomes in Trebouxiophyceae, including the first completely assembled mtDNA from a lichen-symbiont microalga (Trebouxia sp. TR9). Sci Rep 2019; 9:8209. [PMID: 31160653 PMCID: PMC6547736 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-44700-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Trebouxiophyceae (Chlorophyta) is a species-rich class of green algae with a remarkable morphological and ecological diversity. Currently, there are a few completely sequenced mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) from diverse Trebouxiophyceae but none from lichen symbionts. Here, we report the mitochondrial genome sequence of Trebouxia sp. TR9 as the first complete mtDNA sequence available for a lichen-symbiont microalga. A comparative study of the mitochondrial genome of Trebouxia sp. TR9 with other chlorophytes showed important organizational changes, even between closely related taxa. The most remarkable change is the enlargement of the genome in certain Trebouxiophyceae, which is principally due to larger intergenic spacers and seems to be related to a high number of large tandem repeats. Another noticeable change is the presence of a relatively large number of group II introns interrupting a variety of tRNA genes in a single group of Trebouxiophyceae, which includes Trebouxiales and Prasiolales. In addition, a fairly well-resolved phylogeny of Trebouxiophyceae, along with other Chlorophyta lineages, was obtained based on a set of seven well-conserved mitochondrial genes.
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28
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Steinová J, Škaloud P, Yahr R, Bestová H, Muggia L. Reproductive and dispersal strategies shape the diversity of mycobiont-photobiont association in Cladonia lichens. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019; 134:226-237. [PMID: 30797939 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2017] [Revised: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Ecological preferences, partner compatibility, or partner availability are known to be important factors shaping obligate and intimate lichen symbioses. We considered a complex of Cladonia species, traditionally differentiated by the extent of sexual reproduction and the type of vegetative propagules, to assess if the reproductive and dispersal strategies affect mycobiont-photobiont association patterns. In total 85 lichen thalli from 72 European localities were studied, two genetic markers for both Cladonia mycobionts and Asterochloris photobionts were analyzed. Variance partitioning analysis by multiple regression on distance matrices was performed to describe and partition variance in photobiont genetic diversity. Asexually reproducing Cladonia in our study were found to be strongly specific to their photobionts, associating with only two closely related Asterochloris species. In contrast, sexually reproducing lichens associated with seven unrelated Asterochloris lineages, thus being photobiont generalists. The reproductive mode had the largest explanatory power, explaining 44% of the total photobiont variability. Reproductive and dispersal strategies are the key factors shaping photobiont diversity in this group of Cladonia lichens. A strict photobiont specialisation observed in two studied species may steer both evolutionary flexibility and responses to ecological changes of these organisms, and considerably limit their distribution ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Steinová
- Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovations, Technical University of Liberec, Studentská 2, Liberec CZ-46117, Czech Republic; Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Benátská 2, Praha 2 CZ-12801, Czech Republic.
| | - Pavel Škaloud
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Benátská 2, Praha 2 CZ-12801, Czech Republic
| | - Rebecca Yahr
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5LR, UK
| | - Helena Bestová
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Benátská 2, Praha 2 CZ-12801, Czech Republic
| | - Lucia Muggia
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Giorgieri 10, Trieste I-34127, Italy.
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29
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Vančurová L, Muggia L, Peksa O, Řídká T, Škaloud P. The complexity of symbiotic interactions influences the ecological amplitude of the host: A case study in Stereocaulon (lichenized Ascomycota). Mol Ecol 2018; 27:3016-3033. [PMID: 29900606 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 06/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Symbiosis plays a fundamental role in nature. Lichens are among the best known, globally distributed symbiotic systems whose ecology is shaped by the requirements of all symbionts forming the holobiont. The widespread lichen-forming fungal genus Stereocaulon provides a suitable model to study the ecology of microscopic green algal symbionts (i.e., phycobionts) within the lichen symbiosis. We analysed 282 Stereocaulon specimens, collected in diverse habitats worldwide, using the algal ITS rDNA and actin gene sequences and fungal ITS rDNA sequences. Phylogenetic analyses revealed a great diversity among the predominant phycobionts. The algal genus Asterochloris (Trebouxiophyceae) was recovered in most sampled thalli, but two additional genera, Vulcanochloris and Chloroidium, were also found. We used variation-partitioning analyses to investigate the effects of climatic conditions, substrate/habitat characteristic, spatial distribution and mycobionts on phycobiont distribution. Based on an analogy, we examined the effects of climate, substrate/habitat, spatial distribution and phycobionts on mycobiont distribution. According to our analyses, the distribution of phycobionts is primarily driven by mycobionts and vice versa. Specificity and selectivity of both partners, as well as their ecological requirements and the width of their niches, vary significantly among the species-level lineages. We demonstrated that species-level lineages, which accept more symbiotic partners, have wider climatic niches, overlapping with the niches of their partners. Furthermore, the survival of lichens on substrates with high concentrations of heavy metals appears to be supported by their association with toxicity-tolerant phycobionts. In general, low specificity towards phycobionts allows the host to associate with ecologically diversified algae, thereby broadening its ecological amplitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Vančurová
- Faculty of Science, Department of Botany, Charles University, Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Lucia Muggia
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Ondřej Peksa
- The West Bohemian Museum in Pilsen, Plzeň, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Řídká
- Faculty of Science, Department of Botany, Charles University, Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Škaloud
- Faculty of Science, Department of Botany, Charles University, Prague 2, Czech Republic
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30
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Míguez F, Schiefelbein U, Karsten U, García-Plazaola JI, Gustavs L. Unraveling the Photoprotective Response of Lichenized and Free-Living Green Algae (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta) to Photochilling Stress. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:1144. [PMID: 28725228 PMCID: PMC5495867 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.01144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/14/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Lichens and free-living terrestrial algae are widespread across many habitats and develop successfully in ecosystems where a cold winter limits survival. With the goal of comparing photoprotective responses in free-living and lichenized algae, the physiological responses to chilling and photochilling conditions were studied in three lichens and their isolated algal photobionts together as well as in a fourth free-living algal species. We specifically addressed the following questions: (i) Are there general patterns of acclimation in green algae under chilling and photochilling stresses? (ii) Do free-living algae exhibit a similar pattern of responses as their lichenized counterparts? (iii) Are these responses influenced by the selection pressure of environmental conditions or by the phylogenetic position of each species? To answer these questions, photosynthetic fluorescence measurements as well as pigment and low molecular weight carbohydrate pool analyses were performed under controlled laboratory conditions. In general, photochemical efficiency in all free-living algae decreased with increasing duration of the stress, while the majority of lichens maintained an unchanged photochemical activity. Nevertheless, these patterns cannot be generalized because the alga Trebouxia arboricola and the lichen Ramalina pollinaria (associated with Trebouxia photobionts) both showed a similar decrease in photochemical efficiency. In contrast, in the couple Elliptochloris bilobata-Baeomyces rufus, only the algal partner exhibited a broad physiological performance under stress. This study also highlights the importance of the xanthophyll cycle in response to the studied lichens and algae to photochilling stress, while the accumulation of sugars was not related to cold acclimation, except in the alga E. bilobata. The differences in response patterns detected among species can be mainly explained by their geographic origin, although the phylogenetic position should also be considered, especially in some species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fátima Míguez
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)Bilbao, Spain
| | | | - Ulf Karsten
- Applied Ecology and Phycology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of RostockRostock, Germany
| | - José I. García-Plazaola
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)Bilbao, Spain
| | - Lydia Gustavs
- Applied Ecology and Phycology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of RostockRostock, Germany
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31
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Moya P, Molins A, Martínez-Alberola F, Muggia L, Barreno E. Unexpected associated microalgal diversity in the lichen Ramalina farinacea is uncovered by pyrosequencing analyses. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175091. [PMID: 28410402 PMCID: PMC5392050 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The current literature reveals that the intrathalline coexistence of multiple microalgal taxa in lichens is more common than previously thought, and additional complexity is supported by the coexistence of bacteria and basidiomycete yeasts in lichen thalli. This replaces the old paradigm that lichen symbiosis occurs between a fungus and a single photobiont. The lichen Ramalina farinacea has proven to be a suitable model to study the multiplicity of microalgae in lichen thalli due to the constant coexistence of Trebouxia sp. TR9 and T. jamesii in long-distance populations. To date, studies involving phycobiont diversity within entire thalli are based on Sanger sequencing, but this method seems to underestimate the diversity. Here, we aim to analyze both the microalgal diversity and its community structure in a single thallus of the lichen R. farinacea by applying a 454 pyrosequencing approach coupled with a careful ad hoc-performed protocol for lichen sample processing prior to DNA extraction. To ascertain the reliability of the pyrosequencing results and the applied bioinformatics pipeline results, the thalli were divided into three sections (apical, middle and basal zones), and a mock community sample was used. The developed methodology allowed 40448 filtered algal reads to be obtained from a single lichen thallus, which encompassed 31 OTUs representative of different microalgae genera. In addition to corroborating the coexistence of the two Trebouxia sp. TR9 and T. jamesii taxa in the same thallus, this study showed a much higher microalgal diversity associated with the lichen. Along the thallus ramifications, we also detected variations in phycobiont distribution that might correlate with different microenvironmental conditions. These results highlight R. farinacea as a suitable material for studying microalgal diversity and further strengthen the concept of lichens as multispecies microecosystems. Future analyses will be relevant to ecophysiological and evolutionary studies to understand the roles of the multiple photobionts in lichen symbioses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Moya
- Dpto. Botánica, Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Fac. CC. Biológicas, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Arántzazu Molins
- Dpto. Botánica, Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Fac. CC. Biológicas, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
| | - Fernando Martínez-Alberola
- Dpto. Botánica, Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Fac. CC. Biológicas, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
| | - Lucia Muggia
- University of Trieste, Department of Life Sciences, Trieste, Italy
| | - Eva Barreno
- Dpto. Botánica, Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Fac. CC. Biológicas, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
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32
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Williams L, Colesie C, Ullmann A, Westberg M, Wedin M, Büdel B. Lichen acclimation to changing environments: Photobiont switching vs. climate-specific uniqueness in Psora decipiens. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:2560-2574. [PMID: 28428847 PMCID: PMC5395455 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Revised: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Unraveling the complex relationship between lichen fungal and algal partners has been crucial in understanding lichen dispersal capacity, evolutionary processes, and responses in the face of environmental change. However, lichen symbiosis remains enigmatic, including the ability of a single fungal partner to associate with various algal partners. Psora decipiens is a characteristic lichen of biological soil crusts (BSCs), across semi-arid, temperate, and alpine biomes, which are particularly susceptible to habitat loss and climate change. The high levels of morphological variation found across the range of Psora decipiens may contribute to its ability to withstand environmental change. To investigate Psora decipiens acclimation potential, individuals were transplanted between four climatically distinct sites across a European latitudinal gradient for 2 years. The effect of treatment was investigated through a morphological examination using light and SEM microscopy; 26S rDNA and rbcL gene analysis assessed site-specific relationships and lichen acclimation through photobiont switching. Initial analysis revealed that many samples had lost their algal layers. Although new growth was often determined, the algae were frequently found to have died without evidence of a new photobiont being incorporated into the thallus. Mycobiont analysis investigated diversity and determined that new growth was a part of the transplant, thus, revealing that four distinct fungal clades, closely linked to site, exist. Additionally, P. decipiens was found to associate with the green algal genus Myrmecia, with only two genetically distinct clades between the four sites. Our investigation has suggested that P. decipiens cannot acclimate to the substantial climatic variability across its environmental range. Additionally, the different geographical areas are home to genetically distinct and unique populations. The variation found within the genotypic and morpho-physiological traits of P. decipiens appears to have a climatic determinant, but this is not always reflected by the algal partner. Although photobiont switching occurs on an evolutionary scale, there is little evidence to suggest an active environmentally induced response. These results suggest that this species, and therefore, other lichen species, and BSC ecosystems themselves may be significantly vulnerable to climate change and habitat loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Williams
- Plant Ecology and SystematicsBiology InstituteUniversity of KaiserslauternKaiserslauternGermany
| | - Claudia Colesie
- Plant Ecology and SystematicsBiology InstituteUniversity of KaiserslauternKaiserslauternGermany
| | - Anna Ullmann
- Plant Ecology and SystematicsBiology InstituteUniversity of KaiserslauternKaiserslauternGermany
| | | | - Mats Wedin
- Department of BotanySwedish Museum of Natural HistoryStockholmSweden
| | - Burkhard Büdel
- Plant Ecology and SystematicsBiology InstituteUniversity of KaiserslauternKaiserslauternGermany
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33
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Leliaert F, De Clerck O. Refining species boundaries in algae. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2017; 53:12-16. [PMID: 28295349 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Frederik Leliaert
- Botanic Garden Meise, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860, Meise, Belgium
- Phycology Research Group, Biology Department, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Olivier De Clerck
- Phycology Research Group, Biology Department, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
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Hodač L, Hallmann C, Spitzer K, Elster J, Faßhauer F, Brinkmann N, Lepka D, Diwan V, Friedl T. Widespread green algae Chlorella and Stichococcus exhibit polar-temperate and tropical-temperate biogeography. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2016; 92:fiw122. [PMID: 27279416 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiw122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chlorella and Stichococcus are morphologically simple airborne microalgae, omnipresent in terrestrial and aquatic habitats. The minute cell size and resistance against environmental stress facilitate their long-distance dispersal. However, the actual distribution of Chlorella- and Stichococcus-like species has so far been inferred only from ambiguous morphology-based evidence. Here we contribute a phylogenetic analysis of an expanded SSU and ITS2 rDNA sequence dataset representing Chlorella- and Stichococcus-like species from terrestrial habitats of polar, temperate and tropical regions. We aim to uncover biogeographical patterns at low taxonomic levels. We found that psychrotolerant strains of Chlorella and Stichococcus are closely related with strains originating from the temperate zone. Species closely related to Chlorella vulgaris and Muriella terrestris, and recovered from extreme terrestrial environments of polar regions and hot deserts, are particularly widespread. Stichococcus strains from the temperate zone, with their closest relatives in the tropics, differ from strains with the closest relatives being from the polar regions. Our data suggest that terrestrial Chlorella and Stichococcus might be capable of intercontinental dispersal; however, their actual distributions exhibit biogeographical patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ladislav Hodač
- Experimental Phycology and Culture Collection of Algae (SAG), University of Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany Department of Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants (with Herbarium), University of Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christine Hallmann
- Experimental Phycology and Culture Collection of Algae (SAG), University of Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Karolin Spitzer
- Experimental Phycology and Culture Collection of Algae (SAG), University of Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Josef Elster
- Centre for Polar Ecology, University of South Bohemia, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic Institute of Botany, Phycology Centrum, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 37982 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Fabian Faßhauer
- Experimental Phycology and Culture Collection of Algae (SAG), University of Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nicole Brinkmann
- Department of Forest Botany, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Daniela Lepka
- Experimental Phycology and Culture Collection of Algae (SAG), University of Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Vaibhav Diwan
- Experimental Phycology and Culture Collection of Algae (SAG), University of Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Friedl
- Experimental Phycology and Culture Collection of Algae (SAG), University of Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
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35
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Malavasi V, Škaloud P, Rindi F, Tempesta S, Paoletti M, Pasqualetti M. DNA-Based Taxonomy in Ecologically Versatile Microalgae: A Re-Evaluation of the Species Concept within the Coccoid Green Algal Genus Coccomyxa (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta). PLoS One 2016; 11:e0151137. [PMID: 27028195 PMCID: PMC4814044 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Coccomyxa is a genus of unicellular green algae of the class Trebouxiophyceae, well known for its cosmopolitan distribution and great ecological amplitude. The taxonomy of this genus has long been problematic, due to reliance on badly-defined and environmentally variable morphological characters. In this study, based on the discovery of a new species from an extreme habitat, we reassess species circumscription in Coccomyxa, a unicellular genus of the class Trebouxiophyceae, using a combination of ecological and DNA sequence data (analyzed with three different methods of algorithmic species delineation). Our results are compared with those of a recent integrative study of Darienko and colleagues that reassessed the taxonomy of Coccomyxa, recognizing 7 species in the genus. Expanding the dataset from 43 to 61 sequences (SSU + ITS rDNA) resulted in a different delimitation, supporting the recognition of a higher number of species (24 to 27 depending on the analysis used, with the 27-species scenario receiving the strongest support). Among these, C. melkonianii sp. nov. is described from material isolated from a river highly polluted by heavy metals (Rio Irvi, Sardinia, Italy). Analyses performed on ecological characters detected a significant phylogenetic signal in six different characters. We conclude that the 27-species scenario is presently the most realistic for Coccomyxa and we suggest that well-supported lineages distinguishable by ecological preferences should be recognized as different species in this genus. We also recommend that for microbial lineages in which the overall diversity is unknown and taxon sampling is sparse, as is often the case for green microalgae, the results of analyses for algorithmic DNA-based species delimitation should be interpreted with extreme caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Malavasi
- Interdepartmental Center of Environmental Science and Engineering (CINSA), University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Pavel Škaloud
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University of Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- * E-mail:
| | - Fabio Rindi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Sabrina Tempesta
- Department of biological and ecological sciences, Tuscia University, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Michela Paoletti
- Department of biological and ecological sciences, Tuscia University, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Marcella Pasqualetti
- Department of biological and ecological sciences, Tuscia University, Viterbo, Italy
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36
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Juráň J. Trachelomonas bituricensis var. lotharingia M.L. Poucques 1952, a morphologically interesting, rare euglenoid new to the algal flora of the Czech Republic. PHYTOKEYS 2016; 61:81-91. [PMID: 27081352 PMCID: PMC4816984 DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.61.7408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
This report describes the discovery of the rare euglenoid taxon Trachelomonas bituricensis var. lotharingia in a small mesotrophic pond in the Czech Republic. Only limited data are available on the distribution of this taxon as same as for typical variety of Trachelomonas bituricensis, even though this taxon is morphologically very well defined. I provide a brief discussion of the taxonomic validity of this taxon based only on morphological features, which are characteristic for the taxonomy of the genus Trachelomonas. This finding is completely new for the algal flora of the Czech Republic. This report provides new information about the worldwide distribution of this taxon and its ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josef Juráň
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlaté Stoce 1, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic
- Centre for Phycology, Institute of Botany AS CR, Dukelská 135, Třeboň CZ-37982, Czech Republic
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37
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A paneukaryotic genomic analysis of the small GTPase RABL2 underscores the significance of recurrent gene loss in eukaryote evolution. Biol Direct 2016; 11:5. [PMID: 26832778 PMCID: PMC4736243 DOI: 10.1186/s13062-016-0107-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The cilium (flagellum) is a complex cellular structure inherited from the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA). A large number of ciliary proteins have been characterized in a few model organisms, but their evolutionary history often remains unexplored. One such protein is the small GTPase RABL2, recently implicated in the assembly of the sperm tail in mammals. Results Using the wealth of currently available genome and transcriptome sequences, including data from our on-going sequencing projects, we systematically analyzed the phylogenetic distribution and evolutionary history of RABL2 orthologs. Our dense taxonomic sampling revealed the presence of RABL2 genes in nearly all major eukaryotic lineages, including small “obscure” taxa such as breviates, ancyromonads, malawimonads, jakobids, picozoans, or palpitomonads. The phyletic pattern of RABL2 genes indicates that it was present already in the LECA. However, some organisms lack RABL2 as a result of secondary loss and our present sampling predicts well over 30 such independent events during the eukaryote evolution. The distribution of RABL2 genes correlates with the presence/absence of cilia: not a single well-established cilium-lacking species has retained a RABL2 ortholog. However, several ciliated taxa, most notably nematodes, some arthropods and platyhelminths, diplomonads, and ciliated subgroups of apicomplexans and embryophytes, lack RABL2 as well, suggesting some simplification in their cilium-associated functions. On the other hand, several algae currently unknown to form cilia, e.g., the “prasinophytes” of the genus Prasinoderma or the ochrophytes Pelagococcus subviridis and Pinguiococcus pyrenoidosus, turned out to encode not only RABL2, but also homologs of some hallmark ciliary proteins, suggesting the existence of a cryptic flagellated stage in their life cycles. We additionally obtained insights into the evolution of the RABL2 gene architecture, which seems to have ancestrally consisted of eight exons subsequently modified not only by lineage-specific intron loss and gain, but also by recurrent loss of the terminal exon encoding a poorly conserved C-terminal extension. Conclusions Our comparative analysis supports the notion that RABL2 is an ancestral component of the eukaryotic cilium and underscores the still underappreciated magnitude of recurrent gene loss, or reductive evolution in general, in the history of eukaryotic genomes and cells. Reviewers This article was reviewed by Berend Snel and James O. McInerney. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13062-016-0107-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Catalá S, del Campo EM, Barreno E, García-Breijo FJ, Reig-Armiñana J, Casano LM. Coordinated ultrastructural and phylogenomic analyses shed light on the hidden phycobiont diversity of Trebouxia microalgae in Ramalina fraxinea. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2016; 94:765-777. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2015.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2015] [Revised: 08/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Wedin M, Maier S, Fernandez-Brime S, Cronholm B, Westberg M, Grube M. Microbiome change by symbiotic invasion in lichens. Environ Microbiol 2015; 18:1428-39. [PMID: 26310431 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Revised: 08/17/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Lichens are obligate symbioses between fungi and green algae or cyanobacteria. Most lichens resynthesize their symbiotic thalli from propagules, but some develop within the structures of already existing lichen symbioses. Diploschistes muscorum starts as a parasite infecting the lichen Cladonia symphycarpa and gradually develops an independent Diploschistes lichen thallus. Here we studied how this process influences lichen-associated microbiomes and photobionts by sampling four transitional stages, at sites in Sweden and Germany, and characterizing their microbial communities using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene and photobiont-specific ITS rDNA sequencing, and fluorescence in situ hybridization. A gradual microbiome shift occurred during the transition, but fractions of Cladonia-associated bacteria were retained during the process of symbiotic reorganization. Consistent changes observed across sites included a notable decrease in the relative abundance of Alphaproteobacteria with a concomitant increase in Betaproteobacteria. Armatimonadia, Spartobacteria and Acidobacteria also decreased during the infection of Cladonia by Diploschistes. The lichens differed in photobiont specificity. Cladonia symphycarpa was associated with the same algal species at all sites, but Diploschistes muscorum had a flexible strategy with different photobiont combinations at each site. This symbiotic invasion system suggests that partners can be reorganized and selected for maintaining potential roles rather than depending on particular species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mats Wedin
- Department of Botany, Swedish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 50007, Stockholm, SE-104 05, Sweden
| | - Stefanie Maier
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Graz, Holteigasse 6, Graz, A-8010, Austria
| | - Samantha Fernandez-Brime
- Department of Botany, Swedish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 50007, Stockholm, SE-104 05, Sweden
| | - Bodil Cronholm
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 50007, Stockholm, SE-104 05, Sweden
| | - Martin Westberg
- Department of Botany, Swedish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 50007, Stockholm, SE-104 05, Sweden
| | - Martin Grube
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Graz, Holteigasse 6, Graz, A-8010, Austria
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Moya P, Škaloud P, Chiva S, García-Breijo FJ, Reig-Armiñana J, Vančurová L, Barreno E. Molecular phylogeny and ultrastructure of the lichen microalga Asterochloris mediterranea sp. nov. from Mediterranean and Canary Islands ecosystems. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2015; 65:1838-1854. [DOI: 10.1099/ijs.0.000185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The microalgae of the genus Asterochloris are the preferential phycobionts in Cladonia, Lepraria and Stereocaulon lichens. Recent studies have highlighted the hidden diversity of the genus, even though phycobionts hosting species of the genus Cladonia in Mediterranean and Canarian ecosystems have been poorly explored. Phylogenetic analyses were made by concatenation of the sequences obtained with a plastid – LSU rDNA – and two nuclear – internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA and actin – molecular markers of the phycobionts living in several populations of the Cladonia convoluta-Cladonia foliacea complex, Cladonia rangiformis and Cladonia cervicornis s. str. widely distributed in these areas in a great variety of substrata and habitats. A new strongly supported clade was obtained in relation to the previously published Asterochloris phylogenies. Minimum genetic variation was detected between our haplotypes and other sequences available in the GenBank database. The correct identification of the fungal partners was corroborated by the ITS rDNA barcode. In this study we provide a detailed characterization comprising chloroplast morphology, and ultrastructural and phylogenetic analyses of a novel phycobiont species, here described as Asterochloris mediterranea sp. nov. Barreno, Chiva, Moya et Škaloud. A cryopreserved holotype specimen has been deposited in the Culture Collection of Algae of Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic (CAUP) as CAUP H 1015. We suggest the use of a combination of several nuclear and plastid molecular markers, as well as ultrastructural (transmission electron and confocal microscopy) techniques, both in culture and in the symbiotic state, to improve novel species delimitation of phycobionts in lichens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Moya
- Universitat de València, Dpto. Botánica, ICBIBE, Facultad Ciencias Biológicas, Dr Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
| | - Pavel Škaloud
- Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Botany, Benatska 2, 128 01 Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Salvador Chiva
- Universitat de València, Dpto. Botánica, ICBIBE, Facultad Ciencias Biológicas, Dr Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
| | - Francisco J. García-Breijo
- Laboratorio de Anatomía Vegetal ‘Julio Iranzo’, Jardí Botànic de la Universitat de València, Quart 80, 46008 Valencia, Spain
- Dpto. Ecosistemas Agroforestales, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia. Camino de Vera, s/n., 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - José Reig-Armiñana
- Universitat de València, Dpto. Botánica, ICBIBE, Facultad Ciencias Biológicas, Dr Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
- Laboratorio de Anatomía Vegetal ‘Julio Iranzo’, Jardí Botànic de la Universitat de València, Quart 80, 46008 Valencia, Spain
| | - Lucie Vančurová
- Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Botany, Benatska 2, 128 01 Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Barreno
- Universitat de València, Dpto. Botánica, ICBIBE, Facultad Ciencias Biológicas, Dr Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
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